Using LinkedIn influencers ChatGPT as a brainstorming tool, isn’t it?
OpenAI’s chatbot responds to text prompts in a conversational tone, and millions of users continue to experiment with it. The chatbot helps software developers with coding, scientists with research and students with homework. With a bit of repetition and exploration, ChatGPT is worth trying as part of your brainstorming process.
Business leaders can use it to consider multiple approaches for crucial conversations or long-term decisions. Adventurous couples can start discussions about their next romantic adventure with ChatGPT. Nerdy journalists can waste half their afternoon spitballing ideas covering niche smartphone games.
Keep in mind that the tool sometimes returns incorrect answers, so approach a chatbot’s answers with a healthy skepticism. Be sure to double-check any sources it cites to make sure they actually say what the AI thinks they say, or even exist. ChatGPT is also trained on data that is not completely up-to-date. It’s best to save your questions about sports scores, restaurant hours, and movies for Google or the new Bing.
You can sign up for a free ChatGPT account on OpenAI’s website. Want the most powerful version to respond to your brainstorming prompts? Consider paying $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus with GPT-4. It’s also fun to play with other chatbots like Jasper and Google’s Bard to see how your answers compare.
Find a clear starting point
Just because an algorithm is involved doesn’t mean everything about the process changes. A good brainstorm still starts with a strong starting point. Find your key question or topic of exploration. Use this information to try multiple approaches to your prompts.
Ask the chatbot a number of short questions in quick succession. OK, what happens if you create longer prompts? Experiment to see if you get better answers with a one-paragraph prompt or a three-paragraph prompt.
Measure the limitations and biases of the tool
Before you go too far in your AI-assisted brainstorming, take a moment to learn even more about chatbots, what they excel at and what they struggle with.
For example, WIRED’s guidelines on generative AI allow reporters to play with ChatGPT for story ideas and research help. These two aspects are earlier in the creative process and leave room for refinement. I tried brainstorming different approaches with ChatGPT on this AI brainstorming article, and some of the options were quite fascinating, others were not. That sounds like a typical brainstorm!
WIRED reporters should not insert text from a chatbot as if it were their own, as this could add false statements and biases to their reporting.
Keep your prompts persistent
Ask the same question over and over, with minor tweaks, to see how the chatbot responds. The more you ask, the more likely you are to come across an answer that stands out as novel or extremely helpful.
Start your brainstorming focused, but don’t be afraid to develop a compelling idea. Ask for more context on anything that piques your interest. If things go completely off-topic, or if the atmosphere is just plain weird, consider starting a new chat session to keep things in order.
Ask for long lists, better lists, and weird lists
I asked ChatGPT to list 50 unique brainstorming applications, and it recommended using the chatbot to come up with marketing strategies, study techniques, and date ideas. I asked for 50 additional ideas that were more creative than the first answer. The chatbot suggested using AI to brainstorm ideas for pet enrichment activities, soundscapes, and space colonization. How about some absolutely wild brainstorming topics? ChatGPT suggested thinking about some crazy ideas with AI, such as telepathic communication devices, emotion-driven transportation, and hybrid gardens between plants and humans.
Okay, maybe that last prompt wasn’t very productive. But the answers did give me a giggle, which is a crucial moment in the brainstorming process. Even though aspects of a chatbot’s response are rote and uninspired, if you take the time to scroll through the chatbot’s multiple lists, you can get a glimpse of something you could make your own.
Make a few examples
Trying to figure out what to pack for a trip to Brazil? Or maybe you’re looking for a sensible answer to angry emails from your boss? Ask ChatGPT for examples of how it would complete the larger task. While these AI practice attempts are unlikely to give you a finished product, keep an eye out for usable concepts and structures that support the chatbot’s responses.
Stay open-minded about possible applications
Avoid pigeonholing AI as just a tool for work. Sure, AI-assisted brainstorming sessions can help white-collar workers. But it can also help a teen in his bedroom come up with ideas for seething diary entries. Or a grandparent decides which new vegetables they will grow in their backyard. Why limit the options? No matter the topic, play around with chatbots and your next brainstorming session could be even more fruitful.
